memeorandum: GOP test: A civil and honest health-care discussion (E.J. Dionne Jr/Washington Post)

11:10 AM ET, January 17, 2011

Top Items:

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The War on Logic — My wife and I were thinking of going out for an inexpensive dinner tonight. But John Boehner, the speaker of the House, says that no matter how cheap the meal may seem, it will cost thousands of dollars once you take our monthly mortgage payments into account.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Daily Kos and Balloon Juice

E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:

GOP test: A civil and honest health-care discussion — President Obama's call for “a more civil and honest public discourse” will get its first test much sooner than we expected. — Having properly postponed all legislative action last week out of respect for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords …

Discussion: New York Times

Jason Millman / The Hill:
House GOP lawmaker targeting key health reform provision

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Alex Seitz-Wald / ThinkProgress:
After Promising To ‘Repeal And Replace’ …

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Pam's House Blend, The Mahablog, Washington Post and AMERICAblog News

Amy Goldstein / Washington Post:
GOP lacks clear health-care plan

Discussion: The Blotter and New York Magazine

David Nakamura / Washington Post:

Giffords's condition upgraded — TUCSON - Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was upgraded from critical to serious condition Sunday after doctors determined that there were no complications from having her ventilator removed a day earlier. — In a statement released Sunday afternoon …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Outside the Beltway and FrumForum

New York Times:

Husband's Message About Giffords: 'She's a Fighter' — Hundreds turned out on Sunday for a walk in memory of the shooting victims. The march ended at Gabrielle Giffords's office. More Photos » — TUCSON — On a day when Representative Gabrielle Giffords's condition was upgraded …

Discussion: AOL News and New York Magazine

Washington Post:
Giffords's border district symbolizes the heat of Arizona politics

Discussion: Examiner and Pirate's Cove

Associated Press:
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords condition improves

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Scared Monkeys

Donald Sensing / Sense of Events:

Seahawks fall to climate of hate in Chicago — You should have known something like this was going to happen. The vitriol and anger in our nation's sports talk has never been harsher - and we may as well face it: most of it is coming from Chicago Bears Fans.

Discussion: theblogprof

Randal C. Archibold / New York Times:

A Former Dictator Reappears in Haiti — MEXICO CITY — Haiti's exiled former dictator, Jean-Claude Duvalier, returned unexpectedly to his homeland Sunday for the first time since he was deposed in a coup in 1986. — Although the reason was not immediately clear, his return …

Discussion: Time, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway, New York Magazine and AMERICAblog News

Associated Press:
Haiti's ‘Baby Doc’ in surprise return from exile

Discussion: The Jawa Report and Verum Serum

Kerry Lauerman / Salon:

Correcting our record — We've removed an explosive 2005 report by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about autism and vaccines. Here's why — In 2005, Salon published online an exclusive story by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that offered an explosive premise: that the mercury-based thimerosal compound present …

Discussion: Pajamas Media and Balloon Juice

Mike Allen / The Politico:

George Allen launches early campaign - Loughner trial in San Diego — JDA Frontline grows — West Wing stars come out for Marissa Hopkins — First lady b'day — EXCLUSIVE: George Allen, the former U.S. senator and Virginia governor, plans to tell supporters within a week that he is mounting …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Jerry Markon / Washington Post:

Federal authorities plan to move trial of Tucson shooting suspect — Federal authorities are planning to move the trial of the alleged gunman in the Jan. 8 mass shooting in Tucson to San Diego because of extensive pretrial publicity in Arizona, federal law enforcement sources said Sunday night.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Guardian, msnbc.com, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and FrumForum

Freddie / L'Hôte:

the blindspot (updated) — I'm sorry, but I feel compelled. — The last week has seen an endless discussion, within the political blogosphere, about the meaning of rhetoric, extremism, and what is acceptable discourse. I'm on break now, so I've been more attentive than usual.

Discussion: Yglesias, Mother Jones, naked capitalism, Balloon Juice, A plain blog about politics and The League of Ordinary …

Don Surber:

I do not want civil discourse — For a decade, from the election of Bush 43 forward, the Left has lied and cheated as it tried to return to power. Al Gore made a mockery out of the American electoral system by being a spoilsport over Florida, which Bush indeed won by 537 votes.

Discussion: Nice Deb, theblogprof, Pundit & Pundette, JustOneMinute, GayPatriot, Moe Lane, Questions and Observations and iOwnTheWorld.com

Miguel Helft / New York Times:

Apple Says Steve Jobs Will Take a New Medical Leave — Steven P. Jobs, the co-founder and chief executive of Apple, is taking a medical leave of absence, a year and a half after his return from a liver transplant, the company said on Monday. — Mr. Jobs announced his leave in a letter to employees …

Discussion: Gawker and Mediaite, more at Techmeme »

Rich Lowry / National Review:

Dupnik's Confession — Even the sheriff knows Loughner is crazy, per this long New York Times piece on the killer: … There's also this detail on Loughner: